Like Moths Upon Old Scarves
by vapourtrailreads
Summary: Ginny and Draco tag team for a Ministry assignment. Written for QLFC Round 7


A/N:

Thanks to Di for the help!

Title from (yes I know I used this song before) Northern Downpour by Panic! At The Disco.

**Like Moths Upon Old Scarves**

Ginny Weasley shivered as she walked down the misty street. It was eight in the morning, but the thick coat of fog in the alley prevented most of the sun's rays from reaching into the place. Whether it was natural or not, she didn't think she wanted to know.

She had no clue why they would send her of all people to acquire an enchanted jewellery stand from Knockturn Alley. Obviously, she could cast a mean Bat-Bogey Hex, but surely there were wizards for whom this would be considered an area of expertise, weren't there?

But still, she couldn't help but feel a tiny burst of excitement in her chest. This was a breath of fresh air from sitting in stuffy correspondents' boxes and scribbling articles in a cramped cubicle in the Ministry. She knew she wouldn't mess this up.

Luckily or not, she had an idea of where to start looking for the stand. She made a turn round the corner, avoiding the alarmingly big patch of vomit seeping between the cracked cobblestones, and pushed open the door to Borgin and Burkes.

At once, the dust hanging in the shop attacked her nose, and she coughed frantically, fanning the air with her hand as she conjured a Bubble-Head Charm with the other.

"Well, this is awkward."

The icy, familiar voice sent a chill of mortification through her, and she turned to face the blond figure standing in the doorway behind her, hair outlined with white light from the morning sun outside. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned on the door frame, and though she couldn't see his face in the darkness of the store, she could tell he was smirking.

"Malfoy," Ginny hissed. "What are you doing here?"

Draco Malfoy shrugged. "Same as you." He sauntered over to her, charcoal trench coat billowing behind him. He held up his wand, lighting it with a muttered _Lumos_. "I've been asked to assist you in your search for the artifact."

_What? _"Hermione—" she stopped herself. "I mean, the Minister didn't say anything about having to work with a snake." She instantly regretted her choice of words.

The light from his wand wasn't much, but she could still see his eyes flash with anger. "Believe me," he hissed. "If I had my way, I would be doing this by myself. Of course, our dear _Minister_ is a real sucker for safety, isn't she?" He strode past her, wand glowing brighter, casting light into the nooks of the store. "At any rate, I do hope you won't be such a pain in the arse."

Ginny opened her mouth to deliver a sarcastic remark, but he had already ventured deeper into the abandoned store, peering into one of the grime-caked glass cases holding a collection of what she sincerely hoped weren't human tongues. Draco wrinkled his nose and straightened up, turning to check the case behind him.

This was already going badly. Ginny sighed, the helplessness threatening to overpower her.

Then she thought of all the things she'd done—breaking into the Headmaster's office, becoming part of the Holyhead Harpies, fixing her relationship problems, fighting in the Battle of Hogwarts and as part of Dumbledore's Army. All those times, the world had seemed broken, impossible to repair, but she'd refused to give up hope.

And there was no reason for her to do so now. If she could do all that, surely the idea of fixing the rift between Weasleys and Malfoys wasn't a hopeless one.

"Look, Malfoy," she began. "I'm sorry, alright?"

Draco did not answer. _Worth a shot,_ she thought wryly. "So, what are we looking out for?" she asked, reaching to swipe a finger across the glass. Immediately, Draco's hand lashed out and pulled her arm away.

"Don't _touch_ that," he snapped. "Do you ever think before you do something stupid?"

He pointed his wand at the case, and the layer of dust parted neatly down the middle, pulling itself away from the glass. As they peered inside, Ginny saw the wrought iron and lacquered wood of jewellery displays arranged on a moth-eaten purple velvet cloth.

_Moth-eaten?_ "Malfoy, look," she said, pointing.

Just visible near the edge of the cloth was a small moth with papery black wings.

Which should have been impossible considering that the cloth was enclosed in a glass case.

Draco frowned. "Weird," he muttered to himself.

They watched as the moth inched across the case, occasionally launching into a desperate assault of the glass walls surrounding it, before disappearing into a thin crack between the wooden panels.

Ginny glanced at Draco, who swallowed and waved his wand. The velvet tore with a grating tccch as a square of matter pushed up against it.

It was wood on two sides and glass on the other two. Ginny peered through the sides, and gasped.

The wooden stand had been sculpted in the likeness of a hand. It sat in the case, ringed by dead flies and dust bunnies. Dark emeralds were set into the smooth knuckles of the hand, glowing with the light from Draco's wand. Etchings of vines and leaves twined around the wrist of the hand, spiraling around the slim fingers.

"The Gauntlet of Gaia. Stupid name," Draco said.

He twirled his wand, and the stand vanished from the display. Ginny stared at the spot where it had disappeared, open-mouthed.

"You should see your face now, Weasley," Draco said thoughtfully.

"Where is it? What did you do?" He couldn't have done anything with it, could he? Or were the gossip columns right about his continued neo-Death Eater activities after all?

Just then, a pearly white otter slinked through the door of the shop, which they had left ajar. It rose up before them on its hind legs, and when it opened its mouth, it spoke in Hermione's voice.

_"We've received the stand, Draco. Thanks."_

The Patronus faded away, and Ginny sighed in relief. Then in shame. She should have trusted that Draco Malfoy could change for the better too.

"I do hope you weren't thinking that I was up to something with that stand," Draco said, his words clipped.

"I was," Ginny replied honestly, and saw him stiffen. "I don't suppose I could make it up to you with a Thanksgiving dinner?"

Draco glanced at her, his eyes surprised and hopeful. Then it washed over with his usual facade of sardonic scorn, and she knew that her hopes hadn't been unjustified.

"I suppose you could," he said. "Now what do you say we grab a Butterbeer or two before you head back to that gossip forge of yours?"

Ginny bristled. "One gossip monger doesn't make the entire Daily Prophet unreliable! Especially not when it's Rita Skeeter!"

Draco snorted and pushed open the door, and Ginny followed, emerging into Knockturn Alley behind him. For once, the gloom of the crooked lanes could do nothing to bring down her hopeful mood.

**_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_**

Team: Appleby Arrows

CHASER 1: **Write about two or more people from different walks of life working together in some way.**

OPTIONAL PROMPTS:

#2: [dialogue] "Well, this is awkward."

#5: [setting] Knockturn Alley

#15: [emotion] hopeful

Word Count: 1154


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